Saffron is the world's most expensive spice, but its health benefits are priceless. This vibrant red spice is packed with compounds that can help improve your health and protect against disease. However, saffron may also cause side effects or interact with some medications. If you're considering adding saffron to your diet or taking saffron supplements, here is what you need to know about this potent little spice.
Intro: Saffron is the dried stigma of the saffron crocus flower (Crocus sativus). It takes about 150 flowers to yield just 1 gram of saffron threads. Saffron is a key ingredient in many Persian, Indian, European and Middle Eastern dishes and gives foods like paella, risottos, and biryani a vibrant yellow color and distinctive flavor. However, saffron was originally used for medicinal purposes and continues to be used as an herbal supplement today. Modern research has found that saffron contains compounds that may help improve mood, enhance brain function, act as an antioxidant, and possibly even help fight cancer.Saffron contains several plant compounds that contribute to its medicinal effects:•Crocin and crocetin: Carotenoid compounds that give saffron its bright color and act as antioxidants. They may help prevent cell damage and provide anti-cancer effects.•Safranal: A volatile oil that gives saffron its distinctive aroma.
Safranal may help improve mood and act as an antioxidant.•Picrocrocin: A glycoside compound that gives saffron its bitter taste. Picrocrocin helps provide antidepressant effects.
•Alpha-crocin and gamma-crocin: Crocin compounds that may aid in fat metabolism, increase insulin sensitivity, and lower cholesterol.
•Zeaxanthin: A carotenoid compound that acts as an antioxidant and helps support eye health.The potential health benefits of saffron include:
•Improved mood and reduced depression. Saffron may act as a natural antidepressant and help relieve symptoms of mild to moderate depression.
•Enhanced brain function. Saffron has been shown to improve memory, learning, recall and retention in healthy individuals. It may also help slow down age-related mental decline and Alzheimer's disease.
•Anti-cancer effects. The antioxidants in saffron help prevent cell damage and may have antitumor effects against certain types of cancer like colon cancer, stomach cancer, and ovarian cancer.
•Improved eye health. The carotenoids in saffron, especially zeaxanthin and crocin, help support eye health and may help prevent or slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration.
•Antioxidant protection. Saffron is a rich source of antioxidants that help neutralize harmful free radicals and may help prevent cell damage. Antioxidants offer protection against heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's, and other degenerative diseases.
